EP1460030A1 - Stopper for containers, such as balloon type flagons, with a water dispenser type neck - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a stopper placed in a capsule including an external skirt housing a collar of a bottle and an inner vent on which the stopper is encased. The stopper has lower part mounted in a part in the form of bellow (8) with rectilinear walls (9). The bellow forms a slit serving as a valve that is closed by water pressure exerted on walls. A fountain nozzle (7) opens the valve by penetrating the slit.

Description

The present invention relates to a closure device for receptacles provided with a neck of the water fountain type, such as carboys and a new stopper adapted to this use.

The distribution of water by generally refrigerated fountains is carried out in particular in offices and shops, the water being delivered in cylinders placed upside down on the dispenser.

The corking device must be compatible with the bottles and fountains present on the market, so as to ensure, on the one hand the distribution of liquid at will and, on the other hand, a good seal during transfer and storage. and even if you remove a bottle placed on the dispenser which still contains liquid.

Thus, once removed from the dispenser of the fountain, the orifice of the stopper is closed and becomes impervious to any external contamination which could compromise the effectiveness of the washing before filling.

In addition, the cap must provide protection against dust and any bacteriological pollution.

Are already known, in particular from European patent n ° 641713 from ELKAY and from French patent n ° 2769004 from RICAL, sealing devices comprising a plastic capsule containing, on the one hand, an outer skirt serving as a housing for the collar of the cylinder and, on the other hand, an interior chimney for the passage of the dispensing cannula of the fountain.

In both cases, the stopper is constituted by a movable cap, either that it is separated by fracturing according to the ELKAY patent, or that it moves between the chimney and the head of the cannula according to the RICAL patent.

Such a closure system, according to this latter patent, in which the stopper is in fact a movable capsule, which during its maneuver separates from the chimney to become integral with the top of the withdrawal cannula and vice versa, presents, in the event of a false maneuver, there is a real risk of accidentally falling inside the bottle during the handling of setting up or removing the bottle on the fountain.

The device according to the invention makes it possible to avoid this type of drawback and to avoid any risk of seeing a part of the closure device, a capsule in this case, leaving the locations which are successively intended for it, and of hampering the 'next use of the next filling operation.

The device relates to the plugging according to the invention of containers provided with a neck of the water fountain type, intended to contain drinking water during its storage and transport and to cooperate with a fountain cannula for dispensing liquid, which device is placed in a capsule whose outer skirt serves as a housing for the neck of the cylinder and which has an internal chimney for the passage of the fountain cannula and to serve as a support for the stopper.

Said device according to the invention is characterized in that the plug made of flexible and elastic material constitutes a single piece devoid of moving parts and that it comprises a tapered portion in the form of a bellows whose close rectilinear walls form a slot whose closure and the opening acts as a valve, having the property of pressing one wall against the other to prevent the passage of the liquid contained in the container.

The lower part of the stopper advantageously has an annular seal at its end, the width of which covers the bottom of the capsule between the outer skirt and the inner chimney, said seal sealing the junction of the neck of the cylinder which, for its part ensures the blocking of the part of the seal spread over the bottom of the capsule.

The action of plating the bellows walls together to ensure effective closure of the bellows is favored by the action of hydrostatic pressure, when the cylinder is filled and this action can be reinforced by mechanical means increasing the rigidity of said walls, such as reinforcements exerting a thrust perpendicular to the direction of walls.

To be able to detect the undue previous use of the cylinder, the bottom of the capsule is provided, at the place intended to be percussed during the next introduction of the cannula into the chimney, with a daisy-shaped diaphragm. whose petals connected to each other by lines of tears can be easily smashed by the action of the fountain cannula, the violation of which by piercing visibly indicates previous use.

The subject of the invention is also a stopper for closing a container with an inverted neck made of flexible and elastic material, housed inside the neck and constituted by a fixed part surmounted by a tapered part in the form of a bellows with close rectilinear walls forming a slit acting as a valve, the opening and closing of which are actuated by the elasticity and rigidity of the material by hydrostatic pressure, when the container is filled with liquid.

Preferably, the rigidity of the walls is reinforced by the presence of reinforcements which are positioned at 90 ° relative to the slot of the bellows on either side of the walls.

• les figures 1A et 1B montrent des vues en perspective du bouchon
• la figure 2 est une vue de dessus du bouchon
• la figure 3 est une coupe de la capsule garnie du bouchon, ce dernier étant présenté en coupe selon A-A de la figure 2,
• la figure 4 est une vue de dessus du bouchon dont la fente est traversée par la canule de fontaine,
• la figure 5 est une coupe selon B-B de la figure 4.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown, by way of nonlimiting example, a closure device according to the invention applied to the bottle neck, of which

• Figures 1A and 1B show perspective views of the plug
• Figure 2 is a top view of the plug
• FIG. 3 is a section through the capsule filled with the stopper, the latter being presented in section along AA in FIG. 2,
• FIG. 4 is a top view of the plug, the slot of which is crossed by the fountain cannula,
• FIG. 5 is a section along BB of FIG. 4.

The plug 1, represented by the three perspective views in FIGS. 1,1a and 1b, is made in one piece from elastic material, such as natural rubber and it has no moving part.

The closure device is placed in a capsule 3 made of PE plastic, the outer skirt 3a of which serves as a housing for the neck 5 of the cylinder and which has an internal chimney 6 for the passage of the fountain cannula 7

The cap has at its lower part a hollow cylinder 2 which fits on the chimney and which ends in an annular flat 4 serving as a seal covering the bottom of the capsule 3. On the seal rests the end of the neck of the carboy which also ensures the blocking of this part of the seal against the body of the capsule 3.

The hollow cylindrical part 2 is thus fixed in the capsule both by fitting onto the chimney 6 and by blocking by means of the neck of the carboy.

This part of the stopper is surmounted by the tapered bellows-shaped part 8 with close rectilinear walls 9 forming a slot which remains sealed when the two walls are placed against each other.

The bottom of the capsule is provided in its center where the chimney 6 opens out with a diaphragm 11 in the form of a daisy, the petals of which can be easily smashed by fitting the carboy onto the cannula.

In operation, there is a bottle filled with water and carrying a capsule 3 whose tamper-evident diaphragm is intact (Figures 2 and 3). The bottle is placed on the fountain so as to destroy the daisy by striking it using the cannula. The water is drawn off when the cylinder is placed on the fountain and the cannula slides in the slot 8 of the stopper (Figures 4 and 5). The water flows through the openings 13 of the cannula 7.

To prevent the water from the cylinder incidentally entering the space left free outside the cannula 7 from overflowing onto the external location of the cylinder, the inner wall of the chimney 6 is provided with an annular bead seal 10.

In the same vein, a space or bowl is provided inside the capsule 3 so that the water can accumulate there in order to be evacuated without dirtying the ground of the place.

To remove the cylinder from the fountain, lift the cylinder to release it from the cannula. The daisy bearing the traces of the forced passage during percussion, we can hardly confuse the bottle thus marked with a new bottle that has not been used, so that a reuse of the same bottle can not go unnoticed.

The advantage of the plug of the new type according to the invention lies mainly in the safety of its use, since it does not comprise any moving part, its use is not likely to cause operating incidents, in particular when it is put into service and its withdrawal.

Furthermore, another originality of design leading to simplicity of execution lies in the role of valve assumed by the cap itself, as well as the degree remarkable sealing that only a valve can provide, which is an unequaled advantage in an office environment, where water leaks are particularly harmful.

Claims (8)

Clogging device for receptacles fitted with one of the water fountain type, such as carboys, intended to contain drinking water or another liquid during its storage and transport and to cooperate with a fountain cannula for dispensing liquid, which device is placed in a capsule (3) whose outer skirt (3a) serves as a housing for the neck of the cylinder and which has an internal chimney (6) for the passage of the fountain cannula (7) and serving for supporting a stopper, characterized in that the stopper made of flexible and elastic material constitutes a single piece devoid of movable parts and that it comprises a tapered portion in the form of a bellows (8) whose closely aligned rectilinear walls (9) form a slit, the closure and opening of which act as a valve, having the property of pressing one wall against the other to prevent the passage of the liquid contained in the container. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that in the closed position of the bellows, the latter is favored by the action of the hydrostatic pressure, when the cylinder is filled and in that this action is reinforced by mechanical means ( 2) such as reinforcements exerting a thrust on the walls (9) of the bellows oriented at 90 ° relative to the slot (8). Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the plug has at its lower part an annular recess (2) fitting onto the chimney (6) and which ends in an annular flat (4) serving as joint on which the end of the neck of the cylinder rests. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cannula (7) being able to slide freely inside the chimney (6) when the liquid is drawn off, the internal wall of the chimney is provided with a bead (10 ) sealing opposing the passage of the liquid flowing incidentally outside the cannula. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the bottom of the capsule (3) is provided at the place intended for the passage of the cannula in the chimney with a diaphragm 11 yielding under the effect of the percussion operated by the cannula, constituted for example by daisy petals. Stopper for the closure of containers ensuring the distribution of liquid in the inverted neck position made of flexible and elastic material housed inside the neck and constituted by a fixed part (2) surmounted by a tapered part in the form of a bellows (8 ) with closely aligned rectilinear walls (9) forming a slit acting as a valve, the opening and closing of which are actuated by the elasticity and flexibility of the bellows material and by means of the hydrostatic pressure exerted by the liquid filling the container. Plug according to claim 6, characterized in that the rigidity of the walls (9) is reinforced by reinforcements (12) positioned at 90 ° relative to the slot of the bellows. Cap according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the fixed part (2) has the shape of a hollow cylinder fixed by interlocking to the body of the closure device.

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